The major potential for misuse of a therapist's power is generally evidenced when it encourages a client's dependence, in which there is a danger that the role of the therapist as a more active ________ may shift the responsibility for the direction of change from the patient to the therapist.

In such instances, the therapist may be moving from the use of ________ to influence clients to the use of ________ to influence clients.

Agent for Change

• Expert Power
• Referent Power

In attempting to promote systems change, some pursue relational changes by beginning with individual therapy.

The extent to which potential risk to an identified patient or other family members should be tolerated for the sake of improving functioning in the total system also raises the problem of __________________, a negative change or escalation of symptoms during treatment.

Deterioration Effects

Some couples and families do not seek therapy for relationship issues with the hope of involving their partner or family members. More often requests are made by individuals w/in the system. 

Many MFTs face a critical task during this initial "presession" contact to promote ________, the assembling of significant familial or extrafamilial members for upcoming sessions.

Convening

1. an adequate relationship assessment requires the presence of all significant members

2. convening as a dyad or total family symbolically expresses the systemic nature of the presenting problem and potential treatment

3. it becomes increasingly difficult to bring in absent members as therapy progresses

4. convening represents the first test of a therapist's ability and commitment to effectively manage relationship resistance

1. Voluntary participation vs. coercion

2. Therapeutic policy of therapits' insistence on working with all members